Once believed to be the fictional city Shangri-La from James Hilton’s Lost Horizon, Kathmandu has fast become an international gateway to the Himalayas. The vibrant nature of the Nepali people welcome mountaineers, seekers of enlightenment and other wayward souls to the region, and Kathmandu’s cultural heritage dating back over 2000 years leaves visitors inspired.

The treacherous Himalayan summits run through Nepal from Pakistan to Bhutan, and they provide an intimidating backdrop for travelers. It also provides a protective route for the drug trade coming from India’s Parvati Valley, which produces some of the purest hashish in the world.

Finding high-quality hash in Kathmandu is not difficult, and the price for a kilo is ridiculously low. This combined with an awe-inspiring backdrop attracted Locked Up Abroad’sMark Greening to Kathmandu like a magnet. His first two smuggling trips went smoothly. Not once did he get sick or stray from his plan, which included transporting a kilo of hash inside his digestive system. He even received a positive affirmation from a Japanese fortune teller and was given a sacred blessing from his hotel owner in Kathmandu.

On his third visit, everything seemed to go wrong. As he said, “I didn’t get my fortune from the gypsy girl, I got sick. I was breaking Parko’s rule. No ‘Sai Baba’ blessing from the owner. That trip was doomed.”

Mark ignored several important signs things were going wrong, but he pushed on anyway. Most people might say it was a coincidence, or he was being superstitious, but Carl Jung referred to the meaningful events that have no discernible causal connection as “synchronicities.” And if a person pays attention to these synchronicities, they can attain valuable information that can help them make more educated decisions in life.

Not only were the fortune teller and hotel owner absent, but he broke from his normal routine. He joined a tour group to go sightseeing by bus. Nepal’s buses are world-renown for being slow, unreliable and the least comfortable in South Asia, so it’s no wonder Mark brought hash on board to make the trip more enjoyable. However, it nearly got him arrested when the bus passed through a military roadblock.

The brush with the law left Mark rattled, and it was quickly followed by a terrible illness, which struck right before his departure. It was two bad signs back-to-back. The sickness left his body weakened, and he was unable to keep hash down. Right there he should have cut his losses and flown home empty handed, but his family needed the money. The situation forced him to break Parko’s golden rule of drug smuggling: don’t body pack drugs.

Mark failed to notice the signs, and it cost him his freedom. Although his predicament was unique to him, there’s much to be learned from his experience. If you become aware of the synchronicity phenomena, don’t ignore it or chalk it up to an overactive mind. Take a moment to try to understand what the signs you’re receiving mean. They could be supportive of an idea or choice you’re about to make, or they could be warnings to help you avoid harm.

Tune in to Locked Up Abroad: Juggler Smuggler tonight 10P et/pt for Mark’s full story and his close call in Kathmandu.

Last one year ago I was travel in Nepal but I missed some very important place.. So I will go again.

mellisa

Edinburgh

May 9, 2012, 12:53 am

Kathmandu is a beautiful place and it gives a warm welcome to mountaineers and enlightenment seekers. People from across the world want to travel to the Himalayas and the Himalayan summit runs through Nepal only. This is one of the top reasons behind Nepal being thronged by thousands of visitors every year.

joshmartin

uk

May 14, 2012, 1:52 am

I like veray Blogs Kathmandu is a beautiful place and it gives a warm welcome to mountaineers and enlightenment seekers
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Bashu

Thamel

February 16, 2013, 11:10 pm

It is very nice Article about Locked Up Abroad Travel Tips: Kathmandu. It is useful information.